Maduro did not cede power, and instead asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), composed of justices loyal to Maduro, to approve the results, which they did. An arrest warrant was issued for González, who was charged with "usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents, instigation to disobey the law, conspiracy and association";[8] he was granted asylum in Spain, leaving Venezuela on 7 September 2024.[9][10]
González has previously served as the Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina and Algeria. He also sits on the editorial board of El Nacional.[11][12]
González (right side) on 6 September 1994 in La Casona, in a meeting between presidents Rafael Caldera and Ernesto Samper, when he was a foreign ministry official
From 1991 to 1993, González served as the Venezuelan Ambassador to Algeria.[17] He was the Director General of International Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1999.[17] In November 1998,[19][20] González arrived in Argentina beside the newly inaugurated president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, when he presented his credentials to serve as ambassador.[21] While in Argentina, he promoted Venezuela's entry into Mercosur.[21] His posting as ambassador to Argentina ended in July 2002.[17]
On 26 March 2024, the CNE confirmed that González was a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.[25]
Platform
González stated in April 2024 in an interview with Agence France-Presse that "Venezuela must put aside [internal] struggles, political diatribe, confrontation, and we must all fight for Venezuela's recovery and transition. That is what's fundamental", arguing for his candidacy as one of "my contribution to unity, to the struggle for a democratic transition".[26]
González stated in the same interview that "I have no personal aspirations... never, never, never imagin[ing] I would be in this position, but that is secondary to the challenge ahead." González still refers to María Corina Machado as "the leader of the opposition" and "the leader of this unitary process".[27] González stated his goal to be "bring[ing] Venezuelans together (and) the return[ing] of political exiles" followed by "the recovery of the economy and of democracy".[26]
According to The Sunday Times González was "widely seen as the rightful winner" of a disputed election whose results announced by CNE electoral authorities—without providing evidence—cast Venezuela into a political crisis; most American democracies did not recognize Maduro as the winner, while "mostly authoritarian countries" including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba and North Korea did.[7]
The BBC and The Guardian reported that Peru was the first country to recognize González as Venezuela's president-elect, on 30 July[28][29]—a statement from the former Peruvian foreign minister that was corrected on 5 September by Peru's Council of Ministers after a new foreign minister was named.[30] Peruvian President Dina Boluarte reinforced on 6 September that Peru's position with respect to Venezuela had not changed under the new foreign minister, saying "We will not be part of an electoral fraud; we will not support a dictatorial government."[31]
On 1 August, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that there was "overwhelming evidence" that González won the presidential election.[32][33] On 2 August, Argentina recognized González as president-elect, while Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini stated that there was an “overwhelming amount of information” whereby González may be considered the winner of the elections. On the same day, Costa Rica also recognized González’s victory in the Venezuelan elections over Nicolás Maduro.[34][35][36] By 4 August, Ecuador and Panama also recognized Edmundo González's victory.[37]
Maduro did not acknowledge the results which showed him losing the election or cede power,[38] and instead asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), composed of justices loyal to Maduro,[39][40][41][42] to audit and approve the results.[43][44] On 22 August, as anticipated,[43][41][42] the TSJ described the CNE's statement of Maduro winning the election as "validated".[45]
An arrest warrant was issued on 2 September for González for the alleged crimes of "usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents, instigation to disobey the law, conspiracy and association".[8] After the election, González sought refuge secretly in the Dutch Embassy through 5 September,[2][46] after which he spent several days in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, and was granted asylum, leaving on a Spanish Armed Forces flight on 7 September 2024.[47] His wife accompanied him on the flight to Madrid, where they would join a daughter who lives there.[48] González, along with María Corina Machado, was awarded the Sakharov Prize on 24 October.[49]
Political views
González has been described as a centrist and an apolitical "consensus maker".[16]
Attitude towards Maduro
González was apolitical during his diplomatic service, working for both Hugo Chávez and Carlos Andrés Pérez. While González worked against the Chávez–Maduro administrations, his attitude has been described as conciliatory. While former presidential candidate María Corina Machado supported prosecution of the human rights abuses of the Maduro government, González has repeatedly supported talks with Maduro.[50]
Personal life
González is married to Mercedes López de González,[15] and has four grandchildren.
^ abcGonzález Urrutia, Edmundo (2008). Caracciolo Parra Pérez, 1888–1964 (in Spanish). Caracas: El Nacional. ISBN9789803952211. Edmundo González Urrutia - La Victoria, estado Aragua (1949). Graduado en la Escuela de Estudios Internacionales de la UCV. Estudios de postgrado en la American University en Washington DC, donde obtuvo el título de Master of Arts in International Affairs (1981). Funcionario de carrera del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Fue director general de Análisis y Planificación Estratégica, embajador de Venezuela en Argentina, director general de Política Internacional, embajador de Venezuela en Argelia.
^Diplomatic List: Volume 202 of Department of State publication: Department and Foreign Service series. United States Department of State. 1978. p. 69. Mr. Edmundo GONZALEZ-URRUTIA; Mrs. Gonzalez-Urrutia First Secretary
^ abTurkewitz, Julie; Glatsky, Genevieve (22 August 2024). "Venezuela's Supreme Court, Loyal to Maduro, Rules Him Election Winner". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 August 2024. The decision surprised few Venezuelans, as the court has long been used to rubber-stamp the policies of Mr. Maduro, who is likely to use this ruling to strengthen his claim to the presidency.
^ abBuschschlüter, Vanessa (1 August 2024). "Maduro manoeuvring to stay in power in Venezuela". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024. Mr Maduro has turned to Venezuela's top court ... But instead of making the tallies public, he took the unusual step of filing a 'writ of amparo' - a legal move normally used by citizens who think their constitutional rights have been violated. He asked the top court to audit the voting tallies with a view to confirming the results provided by the CNE which handed him another six-year term in power. ... However, this move has already been dismissed by independent bodies, including the Carter Center.
^Tovar, Javier; Agelvis, Barbara (15 August 2024). "Brazil, Colombia urge new Venezuela vote, as opposition cries foul". Agence France-Presse. Yahoo News. Retrieved 16 August 2024. Maduro has previously rejected the possibility of new elections and asked the country's highest court, also viewed as loyal to him, to certify the outcome.
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